15 May 2025 Emor 5785: The Mo’adim, The Power of Chessed & the Legacy of Megillas Rus

In Parshas Emor, the Torah journeys through the festivals which make up the Jewish calendar year. After the introductory phrases which introduce the concept of the mo’adim and exhort us regarding the weekly Shabbos (Vayikra 23:1-3), the Torah moves to the festivals.

Beginning with the Korban Pesach on 14 Nissan; the seven days of Chag Ha’Matzos which begin on 15 Nissan; the Korban Omer brought on the 16th of Nissan; the 49 days/7 weeks of Sefiras Ha’Omer; the festival of Shavuos which is celebrated at the conclusion of the count of Omer; Yom Teruah on the first of Tishrei (Rosh Hashana); Yom Kippur on the tenth; Chag Ha’Succos, which begins on 15 Tishrei, and Shemini Atzeres, the culmination and conclusion of the festivals of the year (Vayikra 23:4-44).

Having gone from Korban Pesach through Sefiras Ha’Omer, we arrive at the yomtov of Shavuos, and the pasuk tells us:

וּקְרָאתֶ֞ם בְּעֶ֣צֶם ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה מִֽקְרָא־קֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם כׇּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם בְּכׇל־מוֹשְׁבֹ֥תֵיכֶ֖ם לְדֹרֹֽתֵיכֶֽם – and you shall call in the midst of this very day, a calling of holiness it shall be for you, all work of labor shall not be done, an eternal statute in all your dwelling places for your generations (23:21).

The next yomtov on the calendar is Rosh Hashana, and thus, the pasukim state:

And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ, speak to the Children of Israel saying: in the seventh month (Tishrei), on the first of the month, it shall be a day of cessation for you, a remembrance of the teruah (shofar) blast, a calling of holiness (23:23-24).

However, between Shavuos and Rosh Hashana, there is one pasuk that stands out:

וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י ה’ אֱלֹקְיכֶֽם – and when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish off (by harvesting) the corner of your field as you reap, and the gleanings of your harvest you shall not gather, to the poor and the convert you shall leave them, I am Hashem your G-d (23:22).

What are the mitzvos of pe’ah (corner of the field) and leket (gleanings) doing here, placed ‘randomly’ between Shavuos and Rosh Hashana? Rashi explains:

אָמַר אַבְדִּימֵי בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵף, מָה רָאָה הַכָּתוּב לִתְּנָהּ בְאֶמְצַע הָרְגָלִים — פֶּסַח וַעֲצֶרֶת מִכָּאן וְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים וְחַג מִכָּאן — ? לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל הַנּוֹתֵן לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה לֶעָנִי כָּרָאוּי, מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ בָּנָה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְהִקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹתָיו בְּתוֹכוֹ (ספרא)

What did the Torah see to place these mitzvos in the middle of the festivals, with Pesach and Shavuos here (preceding pe’ah and leket) and Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur and Succos here (following pe’ah and leket)? To teach you that whoever gives gleanings, ‘forgettings’ [Devarim 24:19] and the corner of the field to the poor person as is mandated by the Torah, it is considered as if he built the BHM”K and brought his offerings inside it (Rashi to 23:22).

This is a beautiful teaching and the Sages are highlighting for us the incredible impact of giving gifts to the poor and the unfortunate in society. A Jew does not live for himself alone and whatever bounty G-d bestows upon him is meant to be shared with others. If one has a field (or any other asset) he must realize it all belongs to Hashem, Who has commanded us to share what He gives us with others who have less.

These mitzvos are so great that they are placed in the middle of the cycle of festivals to teach us that one who fulfills them is considered as if he built the BHM”K and brought the korbanos therein (as in this perek the korbanos of each festival are outlined)!

My dear friend, Rachel Solomon, pointed out an incredibly beautiful, and deeper, idea and lesson on this Rashi.  Rachel noted that this teaching clearly connects to the upcoming yomtov of Shavuos, and the Biblical character of Boaz, who is the gibor chayal (Rus 2:1) of the Book of Rus (the Megillah read on Shavuos).  Rachel said that “Boaz is a clear example of exactly what Rashi said: Boaz did those mitzvos, allowing Rus to glean in his fields, and then it was their progeny, Shlomo Ha’Melech who built the BHM”K, where the korbanos were offered.” Furthermore, it will be their descendant, “Mashiach ben David who will build the final BHM”K, may it be immediate and in our days.”

Parshas Emor is always read during the days of Sefiras Ha’Omer. Hence, this seemingly ‘out of place’ pasuk, with Rashi’s explanation, is reviewed annually in the weeks leading up to Shavuos. It is on Shavuos that we read the story of Rus the Moavite, who married Boaz. Together, they had Oved, the father of Yishai, the father of David, the father of Shlomo Ha’Melech… who built the BHM”K.

Indeed, the Torah is teaching us, see how great is the reward of doing chessed, giving charity, and having compassion on one’s fellow Jew! Because Boaz told Rus not to glean in any other fields, but to remain in his field, so that her and Naami would be sustained through their poverty, he became the founder of the BHM”K, the place where G-d’s presence dwells in this world.

How apropos that the Torah places the pasuk of leket and pe’ah specifically after the chag of Shavuos. Of all the places in the perek to insert this teaching, the Torah put it here to direct our hearts and minds to the lesson of Shavuos and the Book of Rus.

In fact, the Medrash teaches us: אָמַר רַבִּי זְעֵירָא, מְגִלָּה זוֹ אֵין בָּהּ לֹא טֻמְאָה, וְלֹא טָהֳרָה, וְלֹא אִסּוּר וְלֹא הֶתֵּר, וְלָמָּה נִכְתְּבָה לְלַמֶּדְךָ כַּמָּה שָׂכָר טוֹב לְגוֹמְלֵי חֲסָדִים – the book of Rus does not contain laws of impurity, nor purity, nor the laws of what is forbidden or permitted. So why was it written? To teach you how great is the reward to one who performs acts of kindness for another (Medrash Rus Rabba 2:14).

How great, indeed, is the reward to one who performs chessed for another. The act does not just impact the receiver, it can actually change the entire destiny of our nation.

When you harvest your field, take care to leave the corner of the field and the gleanings for the poor amongst you… for in the merit of your act of kindness, charity and compassion, beyond what your mind can conceive… you may just be the one who brings Moshiach, who will redeem our world, our nation, and our land.

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ בֹּ֨עַז אֶל־ר֜וּת הֲלֹ֧א שָׁמַ֣עַתְּ בִּתִּ֗י אַל־תֵּֽלְכִי֙ לִלְקֹט֙ בְּשָׂדֶ֣ה אַחֵ֔ר וְגַ֛ם לֹ֥א תַֽעֲבוּרִ֖י מִזֶּ֑ה וְכֹ֥ה תִדְבָּקִ֖ין עִם־נַֽעֲרֹתָֽי – And Boaz said to Ruth, “Have you not heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, neither shall you go away from here, and here you shall stay with my maidens…” (Rus 2:8)…

וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֹּ֤עַז אֶת־רוּת֙ וַתְּהִי־ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א אֵלֶ֑יהָ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן ה’ לָ֛הּ הֵֽרָי֖וֹן וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּֽן – And Boaz took Rus, and she became his wife, and he came to her, and Hashem gave her pregnancy, and she bore a son (4:13)… וְעֹבֵד֙ הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־יִשָׁ֔י וְיִשַׁ֖י הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־דָּוִֽד – and (their son) Oved fathered Yishai, and Yishai fathered David (4:22)… who fathered King Shlomo.

וַתִּכֹּן֙ כָּל־מְלֶ֣אכֶת שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה עַד־הַיּ֛וֹם מוּסַּ֥ד בֵּֽית ה וְעַד־כְּלֹת֑וֹ שָׁלֵ֖ם בֵּ֥ית ה – And all of Shlomo’s work was established until this day, [from] the founding of the House of Hashem until its completion, when the House of Hashem was complete (Divrei Hayamim II 8:16).

בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום,

Michal